Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu [email protected]
THE second edition of the United Kingdom (UK) Mbira Festival is set to celebrate Zimbabwean culture and heritage when the event returns to Birmingham on September 5.
The festival will bring together musicians, poets, singers and cultural practitioners in a celebration that goes beyond Mbira music to include song, dance, poetry, storytelling and other traditional art forms.
The line-up features Mbira DzeNharira, Albert Nyathi, Shori Bucho, Mary Anibal, Tendai Mavengera, Linos Wengara, Dzimbaremabwe Band, Zee Guvheya, Heritage Band, Mystic Mbira, Madhuve Sasha, David Hondoyedzomba, and Angis Mtizwa.
The UK Mbira Festival seeks to build on that heritage by creating a platform where Zimbabweans in the diaspora can celebrate their culture while introducing younger generations to traditional music and other forms of cultural expression.
Hondoyedzomba said he was ready for the festival and was looking forward to presenting a performance rooted in Zimbabwean traditions.
“I am very much prepared and focused for the festival. My sound has always been a unique African genre that is not very much utilised in the music arena. I am proud to say I have my own sound,” he said.
Hondoyedzomba said he was also working on his live mbira performance to ensure that his studio work translates well on stage.
He said his set would use music to tell traditional stories and encourage Zimbabweans in the diaspora to reflect on their cultural identity.
“Preparation with a live mbira instrument is underway so as to balance studio output and live stage performance for the fans expecting a great performance from us.
“We will be telling traditional stories through music, didactic songs aimed at bringing thought to our fellow Zimbabweans in the diaspora,” he said.
From his set, he said the audience can also expect a selection of traditional sounds, including mhande, jiti and Jerusalema beats, alongside his original compositions.
Organisers of the event said preparations were at an advanced stage, with this year’s programme designed to showcase the diversity of Zimbabwean cultural expression in the diaspora.
Culture K Entertainment, one of the promoters of the festival, said preparations were progressing well, with a strong line-up headlined by some of Zimbabwe’s established cultural performers.
He said the festival would provide audiences with both entertainment and an opportunity to engage with Zimbabwean cultural traditions.
The promoter also said the fusion of both established and emerging artistes was deliberate, as they seek to ensure that Zimbabwe’s cultural traditions remain relevant to younger generations.
“The second edition of the UK Mbira Festival is ready to take place as preparations are going very well. We have an amazing line-up that will help in celebrating our culture through performances.
Seasoned Mbira outfit, Mbira DzeNharira, will lead the line-up.
“The participation of seasoned poet and culturalist Albert Nyathi is also expected to add a poetry and storytelling dimension to the festival, highlighting the connection between music, language and Zimbabwean identity,” said Culture K.
Meanwhile, the UK Mbira Festival comes at a time when the mbira continues to receive international recognition.
In 2020, the art of crafting and playing the Mbira/Sansi of Malawi and Zimbabwe was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The instrument has traditionally played an important role in Zimbabwean society, featuring in ceremonies, spiritual practices, storytelling and community gatherings.
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